We often just call it the 4th of July, but that’s the date. The real holiday this month is Independence Day.
It’s a time to celebrate the freedoms we know as American citizens, remembering what it took for our founding fathers to break away from the rule of others so that we could live in our own independent nation.
Wars have been fought to secure, preserve, and defend the freedoms we have in this great land. Many have sacrificed health, wealth, even their own lives in defending our freedoms and securing our independence as a nation. We are grateful for all who have served, sacrificed, and for all who are currently serving our nation to defend our freedoms.
In that sense we celebrate our Independence by recognizing that we live In Dependence Upon those who fight for our freedom.
The celebration we share as a nation is, in fact, the same sort of celebration we enjoy as God’s people, as Christians. We enjoy freedom from sin, fear, and eternal condemnation. We are set free from the guilt of our past, free from the weight of regrets which are forgiven by God, washed from our souls, removed from our history by Jesus.
We have been set free from such things by Christ our Savior who went to battle for us all. He gave himself in sacrifice on the cross. He conquered even death and the grave when he rose up in new life, in eternal victory.
We live now in his great mercy and grace. We live in the freedom that only Christ could give us. We live in Independence from the guilt and worries of past mistakes. But we do so only when we live In Dependence Upon Christ our Savior.
The American soldiers of years gone by have sacrificed so much for the sake of our freedom. And Christ Jesus sacrificed all for the sake of our freedom from sin, and our new life today, and eternal to come in His home.
Let’s give thanks this month for the Independence Day celebrations and the way we still live In Dependence Upon our brave soldiers in service still today, and In Dependence Upon our Savior, Christ Jesus.
Join us every Sunday as we celebrate all the freedoms we enjoy in this land, and in God’s grace, at Hosanna Lutheran Church, 9601 E. Brown Road, Mesa. Check our website at hosanna-lcms.com.